The hospitality sector is a big contributor to the Indian economy. According to a recent report by KPMG, the Indian hospitality industry is projected to grow at 16.1% CAGR to reach Rs 2,796.9 thousand crore in 2022. The hospitality sector provides jobs to a large number of people and defines a service sector which is growing in popularity with an increase in incomes across the middle class and an increasing desire to indulge in entertainment and related activities. This chapter details the factors influencing consumer expectations from the service industry and helps in understanding the usage of social media to manage customer expectations and perceptions of quality. It also aims at identifying ways to use social media to plug service quality gaps and increase consumer loyalty. The chapter also explores the appropriate advertising appeals that should be used by the hospitality industry on social media.
TopBackground
The consumer evaluation of a service in the hospitality sector, is based on Search attributes, Experience attributes and Credence attributes (Lassoued, & Hobbs, 2015). Organizations in the hospitality sector can successfully create content which revolves around these 3 attributes (Figure 1) and answer the associated queries in the consumer mind.
Search Attributes include aspects like type of food, type of restaurant (for a professional meeting or a family outing), location and price (Degeratu et al., 2000). By hosting appropriate social media campaigns, companies can cater to diverse types of customers. For instance, a campaign comprising a family celebrating a birthday will entice the family audiences, whereas a campaign highlighting a professional experience will lure the corporate customers
Experience attributes refer to issues pertaining to how well a consumer will enjoy the food, the service and the ambience, before physically going through the experience (Srinivasan, & Till 2002). By using social media effectively, companies can showcase glimpses of these experiences on social networks and give potential customers an overview of what they can expect
Credence attributes include those features which a consumer has difficulty in evaluating, even after the consumption of the service e.g., Hygiene conditions of the kitchen and the quality of the cooking ingredients. By sharing pictures of their food preparation processes and standards organizations can cater to these credence attributes.